By Paula Wheeler
Galin’s college counselors are here to help students determine good-fit colleges, and that often means introducing them to opportunities they may not have known about without us! With so many of our students excited to potentially study business, we wanted to explore some “hidden gems” across the country with strong business programs!
SMU’s Cox School of Business boasts a “small-school feel” on a world-class campus in a fast-growing metro area, where students can find internships at Fortune 500 companies and startups alike. Along with the popular areas of finance, accounting and marketing, Cox offers undergraduate majors in Business Energy Management as well as Risk Management and Insurance, plus an alternative asset management specialization for finance students who wish to add it.
With eight majors, 13 minors, five 4+1 programs and an accountancy 3/2 program, the Daniels College of Business offers myriad opportunities for business-minded students. All students take the foundational Daniels Business Core covering analytical thinking, technical expertise and organizational behavior, as well as a required Professional Development Program to ensure that all students gain experience beyond the classroom. More than 70% of students in Daniels study abroad for a portion of their junior year as well as completing at least one required internship. High-performing undergraduates can develop an advanced portfolio or pursue an original research thesis with personalized faculty guidance.
Students at the Lacy School of Business benefit from both academic rigor and abundant experiential learning. All freshman participate in a business plan competition, and students later take things to the next level, working in teams to conceive, create and run a real business under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Lacy also boasts a 360-degree career-readiness program with support from an academic advisor, a personal career mentor and the 50,000-strong Bulldog alumni network.
A national liberal arts college with pre-professional programs in business and engineering, Bucknell infuses broad liberal arts discipline in its Freeman College of Management students. Freeman students complete core requirements that build intellectual and writing skills (to graduate, students must demonstrate writing competence!), as well as critical engagement and thinking. But Freeman also promises immersion in today’s real business landscape, whether it be exploring the NYSE, starting their own companies with Bucknell seed money or managing millions of dollars’ worth of the university's endowment portfolio. STudents can choose from among five majors and departments, including Adhering to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education, Freeman guides students to reflect on the meaning and actions of responsible management.
As part of a university that pioneered co-op education, the Lindner College of Business offers an immersion in both theory and practice, blending classroom instruction with opportunities to work for pay in a professional setting. These opportunities enable students to discover early on what type of work they most enjoy, which can help inform their choice of major, and help develop skills and confidence. Co-ops and internships can take place locally, nationally and internationally, and the resume-building benefits are notable. In fact, the school believes so strongly in the benefits that this fall, Lindner rolled out a new universal co-op program, in which all business students complete a minimum of two co-ops. The new program is flexible, allowing students to choose full-time, part-time and any-time options, as well as alternatives to traditional co-ops such as project-based and entrepreneurship experiences.
The Leavey School of Business combines a prime location in the innovative commercial region of Silicon Valley with a Jesuit, Catholic education that teaches students to balance the economic, social and ethical impact of their decisions. Undergraduates take a common core curriculum of liberal arts classes along with introductory business courses, then begin to specialize as juniors and complete a Capstone course as seniors. Opportunities for academic enrichment encourage the development of values and leadership, such as the Contemplative Leadership and Sustainability Program, or a selective, senior-level course in Conscientious Capitalism.
The W.P. Carey School of Business offers relatively accessible direct admission for students who want to get down to business on day one. The school offers more than 30 undergraduate specializations from Global Logistics Management to Sports Business to Tourism, as well as 10 undergraduate business certificates in disciplines like leadership, professional sales or digital business innovation. Career coaching, management and navigation are all central to Carey’s program.
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